Yes, I'm serious, they say that. Since a bunch of yuppies from the suburbs in Cedar-Riverside are sooo ghetto, haha.

Other than that, the band is much better this year (see my older posts on the subject) mostly due to having, well, size. Still tiny and disorganized, don't get me wrong, they aren't going to be imitating the SBFitW* any time soon. But, I wasn't the only person playing in bass clef today, lol - they had a freshman on bari sax and another on electric bass, and a girl playing trombone. Still trumpet-heavy, still everything-else-light, but they're improving.

We played at their end-of-orientation event tonight, which was sort of fun and a much better indication of what band would be like. Only a few songs, but they're on the right track, and the faculty band director indicated that they'd be getting equipment and new songs along the way. Oh, and I got my official band t-shirt, so I guess I have to keep showing up now, hehe.

* the Second Best Feeling in the World. No, the Michigan Tech Huskies Pep Band isn't cocky. :D

Ok, so we went to the Wild game tonight too. Instrumentation was even more sparse, but better spread around, with me, two trumpets, a flute and the snare and bass drums. The (annoying) trombonist wasn't there, having ducked out at the last minute - could have used his music, but we were better balanced without such a heavy low end. Also, I pretty much ignored all attempts to m@rch, and had a much better time :) (though at least one of the people apparently very much likes doing so - meh, her choice.)

Apparently during the regular season they have more players. I've met four trumpet players so far, a flute, a trombone and the two drummers, though Elisabeth is better as a conductor than as a bass drummer. They sound like they have a more solid woodwind section than I've seen so far, but still not huge.

Their two largest needs, from what I've seen, are a good low brass/woodwind section and a lot of drumline equipment. The school (about 3500 people at the moment) owns a concert tuba and a euphonium or two, but no sousaphone, and it sounds like they're perpetually lacking all low brass players. Bass clarinets might be an option, though it's rare that anyone wants to bring those outside. Same with bari saxes, plus those are inconvenient to carry. Maybe we can get the band set up with a battery-rectifier-amp system like the BA!ss guitar used at the Bash at the Big House, but less clunky and inconvenient - plenty of bass players around Augsburg. As for the drumline equipment, we have a bass drum or two (but no harnesses - it's funny as hell to see Elisabeth strap it on using bungee cords) and a few snares with sling harnesses. I doubt we own quads or stands, or any bell sets we'd be comfortable having outside.

The third of the two largest needs [see what I did there? ;)] is people, and I'm going to offer to help Elisabeth and the other folks recruit next fall. They'll also need help to set up the group as an official student organization, and I certainly have enough by-laws experience to write a decent set for them, haha. Honestly, I'm not trying to set up a Mu Beta Psi colony, though I'd love for them to ask me about Psi and decide it would be a good fit for them. This isn't about that - it's about helping them become a respectable and respected group, and allowing me back into music at the same time.

Oh, and apparently their band director wants me to join their wind ensemble next year too, haha. We'll see about that one.

I'm taking some classes at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, a fairly small liberal arts school. While looking at their website, I noticed that one student had started a pep band this year, and thought, "Oh, good for her." Then, at the bottom of the article it said, "We especially need low brass!"

I can't turn down a call for help like that. So, a few days ago I go to a rehearsal expecting a small group of maybe 30. Instead, there were 7 people - three trumpets, a snare drummer, a very annoying trombonist, the founder/bass drummer/conductor and a very confused and underwhelmed me. Worse, we played a public gig tonight, serenading hockey fans going to the Minnesota Wild game, and we were by no means anywhere near ready to perform in front of the public. The snare drummer was probably the best one, but I was next best, and I haven't played for a year. Worst of all, they insisted on... gack... m@rching. Poorly.

They're a very new group, so I'm not terribly surprised. I do want to help them, and having been a part of the Second Best Feeling In The World (c) for most of six years, I'm pretty well qualified to help them get better music (have I mentioned I hate the Hey Song?) However, I want to do more than that - I want to help them towards being the sort of amazing social organization, PR tool, and sports-boosting group that the Huskies Pep Band has become. How do I do that without stepping on their toes (Augsburg is NOT Michigan Tech, hah), or creating a HPB clone? And more importantly, how do I help them become better and stronger without taking too much time from my life?

I bet you wouldn't recognize me if I walked by!

Yup - the goatee is gone. See Facebook for my new profile picture if you haven't already. It's a little scary, honestly... I've had facial hair more-or-less continuously since my 3rd year of high school, though it was definitely underwhelming back then :) Maybe it'll be for the best though. I wouldn't have shaved were it not for the job at Fort Snelling (which had its first training session yesterday), but this year has been forcing me to reexamine my life quite a bit. The sudden relationship with Sarah, taking classes at Augsburg, and the very act of getting the Fort Snelling job made me realize that I'm finally starting my next phase in life. In Psi, I identified with the Alumni group most strongly for once. A lot of the people I know are married and having kids, and for the first time I think I could manage both (NOT THAT I WANT THEM. Not yet, anyway.) Depending on how this job goes, I might be able to consider moving out of the house next fall or winter. Lots of stuff is changing, and I may as well change something that's been with me since high school. Maybe my goatee can be a metaphor for laziness ;)

Still, I think I'll let my stubble grow out until my next training session on March 28 :)

Winter Carnival always ends on a bittersweet note for me.

Wednesday night, we roll into town (or onto the statue site, in earlier days), full of piss and vinegar and ready to rock. We stay up damn late, wander around, run into people we haven't seen for at least a year if not more, and generally have a good time without getting too smashed. All we want to do is have fun and accomplish something great.

Thursday, we check out the statues, then there's stage revue for those who are involved. But after that, we go all out and party until the break of dawn - we're really getting into the post-statue euphoria after having slept until 3PM or so and damn it, that fifth/keg/trash can of WOP has my name on it. We drink too much, dance, sing, and end up waking up in odd places the next morning, such as random strangers' beds (with or without clothing), under toilets, and in police stations.

Friday afternoon, we finally wake up, have some Taco Bell, Perkins or Little Caesar's, and let some ibuprofen do its work. There's hockey tonight, and even though we hold little hope of Tech doing well, we go to see them try their hardest. Afterwards, there's more partying to do. Some of us go see Gary Tunstall (who was absolutely ON, btw), some go to whatever concert is at the Rozsa, some go straight to the bars or to parties. By now, we're definitely on the downward arc of Carnival though - our livers are protesting, our stomachs aren't as cast iron as we remember, and the novelty's starting to wear off.

Saturday, the booze has gotten to us and we're far more mellow. This is a much more contemplative day - the alumni tend to have gatherings and relate stories about how it was in their day, and parents show up to see the statues at a more sedate pace. By then the students have started to shrink back into their shells from the superhuman status they'd spent months building. Just the same, after hockey there's definitely still packed bars and more than a few parties, as well as the dance. What marks the official end to Winter Carnival for me, and what leaves a sad thought in my mind, is seeing the Torchlight Parade down Mont Ripley. The skiers with their flares, and the fireworks booming through the snow, signify that the end has come, and you'd better get your partying done. Back to normalcy once the sun rises.

On Sunday, the tourists are finishing their gawking, the alumni pack away their reminiscences in the quiet of their hotel rooms, and the students start drifting, bleary-eyed, to the labs and libraries. All that's left are the records, the pictures on thousands of cameras, the already-rotting and snow-covered statues, and hazy memories of this year. The spark of hope dances around the edges, prompting dreams of new statues, better broomball teams and more skit ideas, but for now, our alter egos lie down and sleep for another year.

-----

More about my life later - watch for topics including the Mu Beta Psi colony in Ohio, the trip to the Creation Museum, and my upcoming interview at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Today ends my 3 and some months of work at the Minnesota Historical Society - for now. I had a ton of fun working at Vatican Splendors, despite knowing next to nothing about the Catholic church to begin with. My coworkers were almost all really awesome, my bosses as well, and the patrons were generally decent too. That, and I got to hang out in the Minnesota History Center all day :-D

Next up: applying for a summer job with MHS. There'll be about a zillion people applying (the last job had 200 applicants!) but I ought to have good recommendations from my former supervisors. In the meantime, I'm actually taking a few classes at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Who knows what that'll lead to?

Still... that may have been the most fun job I've ever had.

(stolen from mekkababble)

I just found out that my great great grandfather played baritone too :-D

I like Digsby, really. It's a convenient way to bundle all of my IM programs and email notifications together, and uses less memory than Trillian + GChat or what have you.

But.

Recently it updated to the newest version, using much less memory than before. "Cool," I thought. It asked me to approve the installation, so I clicked on OK. It didn't do anything, so I waited a bit, then clicked -

- oh, crap, it approved it already, next screen clicked OK -

- hey, what's that screen about "Google-powered Digsby Search" -

- wtf, I wanted to read that, go back! Wait! -

...

- fuck.

It changed my homepage, my Google search bar on the right side, and most annoyingly (and least intuitive to fix) the main navigation bar to "Google search, powered by Digsby." Eventually, I had to go to Firefox Safe Mode to change them back to default mode. Moral of the story: Only Click Once, no matter how long a window takes to load.

What the eff happened to Gmail?

I. Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
II. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
III. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
IV. Tag 11 friends who might enjoy doing this.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Girls Just Want To Have Lunch

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
I Have but Two Horns

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Amanda

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Strawberry Fields Forever

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Unpack Your Adjectives

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
In the Jailhouse Now

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Cheeseburger in Paradise

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Helplessly Hoping

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

10. WHAT IS 2+2?
Blanik

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
My Bonny Boy

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Zamboni Song

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Of Wolf and Man

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Seventh One

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
The Interlocutor

17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Start Me Up

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
The Bad Touch

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Island in the Sun

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Until It Sleeps

22. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Save a Tree (Eat a Beaver)

23. HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Karma Chameleon

24. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Barbie Girl

25. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Dream On

26. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Brass Monkey

27. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
You Say You Want a Revolution

Your result for What's your key signature?...

A Major

Take What's your key signature? at HelloQuizzy

----

I think the first time I took the quiz, I got Eb, so... *shrug*

I came in tonight at just after 11, and found my dad sitting at the computer watching an online Bill Moyer broadcast. As I turned to walk away, he stopped me and asked me to sit down and watch - he thought I'd find it interesting.

The interview, and the music, blew me away.

Mark Johnson is the founder of "Playing for Change", an organization dedicated to uniting people across the globe through music. His inspiration came from seeing two monks performing in the Boston subway, and the crowds of people mesmerized - willing to miss their train to see these two men perform music. That image fermented in the back in his mind as he moved to Los Angeles, but it took a run-in with a street guitarist singing "Stand By Me" for the idea of Playing for Change to be rammed home. First, Mark made an award-winning documentary, then he started an organization to promote peace and unity through music worldwide.

If you have a spare 20 minutes, watch Bill Moyer's interview. It starts slowly - if you'd like, skip the first 4-5 minutes - but make sure to watch the rest.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10242008/watch3.html

I'd like to find a copy of the full-length film and send one to each Mu Beta Psi chapter, just to remind all of us why we joined. For those of you who aren't in Psi, this... it describes what we strive towards.

http://www.playingforchange.com/

Hey folks,

Leslie called and said she's ok. 4 trees came down in her back yard (including a 4 foot diameter one), and power's out, but otherwise she's doing fine. No house damage that she's seen yet.

------

Haven't been up to much recently, aside from looking for jobs, painting a trailer, and doing some housework. I think the plan for today or tomorrow is to make some hamburger buns - hopefully they'll come out well.

Ok, so it's not like Tech is looking for one necessarily. But what do you think of this logo:


Feel free to edit it if you'd like, as long as you give me credit for the idea :-)

EDIT: A digitized, colorized version is here (PNG format): http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/4207/huskybi4.png

1. Post 3 things you've done in your lifetime that you don't think anybody else on your friends list has done.
2. See if anybody else responds with "I've done that."
3. Have your friends cut and paste this into their journal to see what unique things they've done in their lives.

1. I was a National Merit Scholar.

2. I've been to the Boundary Waters. Twice :-P.

3. In 2004, I drove 6 hours home, (slept for 3 hours), voted, and drove 6 hours back to Houghton. I even got permission from my professors!

I'm pretty sure the family house is out to get me. Haven't been tripping on things or anything like that, but ever since I got home I've had a pretty badly stuffed-up nose. As in, keeps me awake a significant portion of the night because I can't breathe. Culprit #1: probable mold and definite dust. By themselves, each is manageable, but there's a special blend here that does me in every time. Culprit #2: humidity. Culprit #3: a possible cold, which is what the allergic reaction has been developing into. Culprit #4: not leaving the house much. I blame this on not having a bike, though I'm pretty sure I could use my dad's without much hassle.

Blech.

Anyway, I've been here for 5 days so far, and things are going well enough. No job yet, but I have a few leads (historical, transit-related and otherwise), and I've gotten to hang out with some friends from high school. Eventually I'll need to look up a few more people, probably tonight, then maybe hang out with some hockey forum friends another day.

For Mother's Day, I'm putting up some cabinetry in our laundry room. The cabinets are surplus from the kitchen remodeling my parents just completed, and will look much nicer than the plain white shelves that I took down yesterday. Hopefully my dad hasn't taken it upon himself to complete the work... if there's anything I really dislike about him, it's his penchant for "showing" me how to do something by doing it himself. I do ask a lot of questions, and I don't necessarily finish projects all at once, but that doesn't mean that I'm totally incompetent, believe it or not.

Heh. Sorry, pet peeve showing through. Anyway, off to work on the cabinet, and then maybe see what my friends are up to. I'd go for a bike ride, but it's rather rainy and miserable outside right now.

Sometimes I get in the mood to tell stories for no good reason, mixing fact and fiction.

( Like this one. )

PS: I'm really not trying to rip on Heather or Sarah, I just came up with this because of a conversation involving them :-)